ALAINA LOVE BIOGRAPHY - PURPOSE LINKED CONSULTING

I am the youngest of three children, born into a working class family from a small town in New Jersey. From an early age, I knew that my role in life was to be a healer. I came into the world with enormous drive and compassion, which I eagerly applied to helping my older sister who suffered from cerebral palsy. Watching my sister struggle to walk, think and learn made me aware that my purpose in life was to make a positive difference for others.

After becoming the first in my immediate family to graduate from college, I entered medical school at a university in Boston . It was a year of great growth and change for me, during which I explored a variety of subjects that held my interest. Complicating my year in Boston was the illness of my sister, who sadly passed away during my second semester and my mother's death four months thereafter.

My mother was a hard working woman who owned a garment manufacturing business that employed 50 people. Looking at my options in life and my responsibilities to her legacy, I decided to leave medical school to run the business until we could find a buyer. Two years later, the company was sold and I had gained a wealth of experience in business. I was surprised to discover how much I enjoyed it, but still had an attraction for science.

A few months later, I accepted a position as a research scientist working for Merck & Co., Inc., a pharmaceutical giant headquartered just a short drive from my home. I spent several years working in immunology and clinical research. Eventually I made a career changing move to human resources. This was a move that allowed me to work closely with people and solve organizational problems (something that I learned I had a gift for when running the garment business). Best of all, I was in the role of a healer, as I worked with individuals and organizations that were struggling.

As the years progressed, my opportunities in HR expanded and I moved to positions of increasing responsibility, eventually leading HR worldwide for the Company's sales and marketing division. While the Company was a wonderful training ground for me, at some point it became clear that the work on I was required to focus was far removed from my purpose and passions. In 1994, after much soul searching, I decided to leave the organization to open my own consulting firm where I felt I could best utilize my skills as well as my passions.

After making this huge personal transition, it occurred to me that things might have turned out differently -- not only for me, but also for others who had experienced similar mid-career changes. I began then to realize that organizations had a lot to gain by seeking to connect employee purpose and passion with that of the organization in a way that could create both successful business results and meaningful work experiences. From that seed of an idea, the work of Purpose Linked Consulting was born.

Since partnering with Marc Cugnon, this seed has reached full flower and our work with others is a source of great fulfillment for us both. Purpose and passion is a powerful combination that we believe can change the business environment for the better. It is a gift and a pleasure to work with cutting edge organizations that appreciate the value of leveraging this force to create cultures where passion can flourish.